The COordinated Network Framework for Integrated Distribution of multi-Energy (CONFIDE)

Objectif

The European Union's energy transition, driven by the Green Deal and REPowerEU, is critically constrained by the challenge of integrating massive volumes of variable renewable energy sources (RES). Progress is impeded by a lack of computational frameworks capable of holistically planning and designing the required multi-energy infrastructure. Existing tools are largely siloed, deterministic, and neglect crucial network physics.

The CONFIDE project will address this urgent gap by developing the first unified, stochastic, and network-aware computational framework for the coordinated configuration of Multi-Energy complementary AC/DC Hybrid Distribution Networks (MEhDNs), co-optimizing electricity, thermal, and hydrogen vectors. The project's methodology integrates advanced mathematical modelling, uncertainty-aware stochastic optimization, and high-fidelity Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) validation to deliver technically robust and economically optimal designs.

This 24-month fellowship will be hosted at the University of Malta (UM), a hub for energy systems research. It includes a strategic secondment at the world-leading Centre for Research on Microgrids at Aalborg University (AAU), Denmark, where I will acquire essential skills in advanced experimental validation. This unique training will equip me with a timely, interdisciplinary skillset at the intersection of power systems, optimization, and control theory, positioning me to become an independent research leader in Europe.

The primary outcome will be a validated, open-source decision-support tool. CONFIDE will deliver significant impact by providing a tangible pathway to accelerate decarbonization, enhance Europe’s energy security and infrastructure resilience, and unlock substantial savings in grid modernization, directly supporting key EU strategic priorities.